1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a hydrodynamic torque converter of the type including a pump wheel, a turbine wheel, and a stator which combine to form a hydrodynamic circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hydrodynamic torque converter provided with a pump wheel, a turbine wheel, and a stator, which combine to form a hydrodynamic circuit, is known from DE 101 31 768 A1. The flow conditions in the hydrodynamic circuit can displace the turbine wheel axially toward the pump wheel when the converter is operating in pull mode and in the opposite direction when it is operating in push mode, and at least one axial bearing on the drive side of the freewheel and at least one drive-side thrust washer establish a working axial connection between the turbine wheel and a component of the freewheel. The first freewheel component is formed by an outer body, which holds the stator hub. On the takeoff side, the freewheel is supported against the pump wheel hub by a takeoff-side thrust washer and a takeoff-side axial bearing. The freewheel also has a second component, formed by an inner body, which is centered on the first component by the thrust washers, is free to rotate relative to that first component, and is supported nonrotatably on a part permanently attached to the housing, such as a support shaft.
In freewheels of this type which form part of a stator, especially in cases where the hydrodynamic torque converter is used in working machines such as bucket wheel loaders, the following problem occurs: It can be desirable to introduce shock-like loads such as when the loading bucket is to cut into solid ground or when the loading bucket is to be dumped all at once. These types of shock-like loads are produced by the very rapid closing of at least one clutch in a multi-step reduction gear connected to the torque converter, and they are transmitted as torque surges to the torque converter, where they arrive at the freewheel of the stator. This can lead to malfunctions or even to the failure of the freewheel.